


The Greatest Hamlet in Modern Memory

by Dogsled



Category: Slings & Arrows, due South
Genre: Crossover, Established Relationship, F/M, Lust at First Sight, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 10:23:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3131051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dogsled/pseuds/Dogsled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long before RayK and Stella break up, he makes an attempt at giving her a good night out, taking her to a show. He falls in love with the attractive lead playing Hamlet, who then jumps into Ophelia's grave, but not before jumping into Ray's heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Greatest Hamlet in Modern Memory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DesireeArmfeldt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesireeArmfeldt/gifts).



He hadn't really wanted to go to the theater, but oh, he was trying his best. Stella liked the theater, so that's where they went. Art and culture and dancing--Ray had gotten better and better at pretending he liked what she liked; he was never unhappy so long as it meant he got to spend time with her.

So the theater it was. Shakespeare. Ray had bought the tickets weeks ago, which was uniquely optimistic for him, but they were on vacation, and he and Stella would be a captive audience. There'd be no way either of them could claim that they had something better to do.

Shakespeare was going to suck. Ray knew it right from the beginning. He was doing this for Stella, not for himself. It's potential wasn't improved by the crowds, all of them burbling cheerfully about reviews. He couldn't really hear what any of them were saying, but then Ray's mind was on the breakfast he planned to eat at the hotel the next morning. He let himself be shepherded into a seat, eventually, and Stella settled in beside him, buzzing with excitement.

"They're talking about this being the greatest Hamlet in modern memory," Stella told him, excitedly.

"Really?" Ray said, feigning interest. He could care less about the show, it was Stella that fascinated him. Her hands, the way she held the program, the way excitement had brought the flush out on her cheeks.

She looked at him sternly just a moment later, and Ray felt his heart flop. "No, really," he said urgently. "I'm interested."

"Never mind, Ray. Let's just enjoy the show."

Ray sighed, sinking back in his chair slightly. One wrong note to his voice and he was in the doghouse. This, after all the effort he'd made randomly pointing his finger at a word in the ticket registry--and dressing up. The dressing up had taken a lot of extra work on his behalf; he'd even _shaved._ Now it was just another waste of time. He couldn't do anything right.

But the play... The play was electric. It built--built and built, and by the time Geoffrey Tennant stepped on stage, Ray was convinced that Shakespeare wasn't as bad as he remembered it being back in high school. Ray suddenly forgot all about the beautiful woman beside him. There was just Geoffrey, and Geoffrey's Hamlet. He was entrancing, absorbing, full of intense emotion, heartbreak and edge-of-the-knife sanity.

Ray didn't breathe while Geoffrey was speaking. He didn't look away from the stage while Geoffrey was on it, and when he did look back at Stella he had a sudden rush of feeling for her that he couldn't explain, hooked in with the general euphoria that was spreading through the theater. He loved her, and for a second when she looked back at him he thought she felt the same way. And then the curtain rose, and they watched the stage again in unison.

He owned the stage. He was beautiful. Magnetic. He had presence, and the whole theater felt it. They probably felt like this was a pretty good Shakespeare or something, but to Ray it was seduction--it was Geoffrey reaching out to him - just to him - across the twelve lines of seats between them. Nobody else existed.

Ray fell in love, pretty much right then and there--and then Geoffrey jumped into Ophelia's grave, and the seduction was over.


End file.
